BY ANY OTHER NAME...

Interesting and Unusual Names.

Hello again, SUNFUN'ers...
What's in a name? Your name is maybe the one thing you own
that no one can ever take away. Given all the different
languages and cultures in the world, I suppose all of our names
sound funny to someone. My own name, Bill, certainly sounds
funny to people in other languages. Pronounced with the 'L'
sound, it is close to the Japanese word for 'building.' It's
even funnier in the phonetic pronunciation, _bi-ru_. That is
pronounced the same as the Japanese way to say 'beer'. In
Chinese, my name sounds like the word for 'wristwatch' or
'gauge'.
Some people have names that make you wonder what their
parents were thinking. Or maybe, what they were drinking. If
you have the family name 'Barr', isn't it kind of foolish to name
your daughter 'Candy'? Unusual names can be very pretty, but I
saw a lady at the checkout at the food store the other day with
the unique name 'Unique.' Do you suppose that maybe her parents
couldn't decide between Eunice and Monique?
Thanks this week to the folks named: Libin He (Also Known As
Sylvia), Bob (Robert) Martens, Eva Lu (AKA Lu Yu Hwa), Dale
Frederickson & Jerry Taff (I know, but I'm not telling), and
Nnamdi Elleh, Kerry Miller & Beth Butler (no known aliases).
We'll always remember your names!
Have a great week,

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POINT OF VIEW...
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The story goes that when Poland first became a democracy
again, its competing leaders had trouble finding compromises that
would work. They couldn't find much common ground because of
their vastly different political backgrounds. In fact, the only
thing that Wojciech Jaruzelski, Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Lech
Walesa could agree on was that George Bush has a funny name.
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SO, WHAT'S IN A NAME...
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On the National Public Radio news show 'Morning Edition'
last April 10th, various Democratic representatives complained
about the lack of direction in the U.S. Congress. The democrats
complained that Republicans were stalling the Democrats' programs
and refusing to vote on them. California Democrat Barbara Boxer
complained about how this was a, "do-little Congress, a
do-nothing Congress."
For response, NPR turned to a Republican representative from
California, John. T. Doolittle.
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IF THE NAME FITS...
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- An electrician in Oak Creek, Wisconsin: Milo Shocker
(retired now).
- The chairman of the Chicago Parks District : Forrest
Claypool.
- Substitute teacher at Woodside (California) Elementary
School: Mr. Fillin.
- Traffic reporter for WTMJ-Radio in Milwaukee: Tom Carr.
- Company spokesperson explaining to the media how an
International Nickel Company plant in South Sulawesi,
Indonesia exploded: Bambang Susanto.
- Spokesperson for the Modesto (California) Memorial Hospital:
Pam Talkington.
- Call the cheese shop 'Cheese, Please" in Burlingame,
California and you'll hear the delightful, "Cheese Please,
Brie speaking..." The counter lady, Brie Mercis is really
tired of the runny/drippy cheese jokes, so watch it!
- The Vatican spokesman for its latest decree against the
excesses of rock and roll: Cardinal Rapsong.
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I couldn't determine just what these folks do for a living, but
the names are interesting anyway. These are listed her just the
way they are shown in the phone book...
- Might be a good breakfast cook?: Chris B. Bacon of Girdwood,
Alaska.
- Possible veterinarian, Birdie Doctor of Syracuse, New York.
- A. L. Coholic on Logan Gate Road in Youngstown, Ohio.
- Wonder if they've met... G. Flat of Lake Hopatcong, New
Jersey and G. Sharp from Teaneck, NJ.
- Mr. Hugo Farta of Dallas, Texas.
- A. Looney in Farmington, Connecticut.
- A sweet person? Candy Barr of Warren, Vermont.
- Holds great movie nights? Susan Video of Union City, New
Jersey.
- Always just arriving? Justin Time from Holt, Michigan.
- Someone we should put on the Sunday Funnies subscription
list? Solomon Funny of White Plains, New York.
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TAKING THE CHEAP WAY OUT...
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Personalized license plates are quite common here in the
States (ours says: EMAILME), and they are not too expensive. But
in other countries, custom plates can cost many thousands of
dollars. Last December, a man named Nigel in Southern England
paid $128,000 at an auction for the right to use the license
plate 'N1GEL'. Eighty other personalized license plate numbers
brought in about $2.7 million at the auction.
For people in England not having the money for such an
expensive personalized plate, Dave Parker found an inexpensive
solution. It only cost him a $40 filing fee to change his name
to (Mr.) C 539 FUG, which is the license plate number on his car.
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FUNNY BUSINESS...
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- In Presque Island, Maine there is a place called 'Graves'
Funeral Home.'
- A hair salon near Port Washington, Wisconsin is called 'Curl
Up and Dye.'
- The 'Bloomer Shippers Connecting Railroad Co.' is in
Chatsworth, Illinois. I have no idea if they really ship
underwear.
- The 'Strange Battery Company' is located on State Street in
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
- A stained glass art store in Naples, Florida is called 'A
Pane in the Glass.'
- How about this for appropriate names: the 'Deadman Funeral
Home' in Manchester, Tennessee?
- Take a chance on the 'Gamble Insurance Agency' in Central,
South Carolina.
- The 'Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad' has main offices in
Marion, Illinois.
- There was a doctor in Malaysia whose name was Dr. Chin. He
had a sign on his clinic: 'CHIN EAR NOSE & THROAT CLINIC.'
- In Yarmouth Post, Massachusetts there is a Chinese
Restaurant called the 'Wok-N-Roll.'
- I don't know what they do. Maybe I don't want to know.
The 'Strange Corporation' of Harrisville, Pennsylvania.
- They must do really good work just to stay in business at
the 'Crummy Plumbing Company' of Ocean Shores, Washington.
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IS IT? IT IS!
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Tired of hearing his name mispronounced as 'cotch',
Frederick Koch of Brattleboro, Vermont legally changed his name
to (Mr.) 'Coke-Is-It.' He was promptly sued by the Coca-Cola
company for unauthorized use of their trademark. They filed
legal action to try to prevent him from using the name until the
matter goes to court.
[ For the record, the court papers listed him as 'It,
Coke-Is-' Also Known As Fred Koch... ]
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SOME SMALL CHANGE...
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Alexandra Valenti has a famous last name in the movie
industry. Her father, Jack Valenti, is the chief of the powerful
Motion Picture Association of America. When she co-wrote her
first movie script recently, she didn't want her family
connections to affect how the script was received. So what name
did she use to avoid sounding like she was trying to influence
producers? Alexandra Rockefeller. (Reuters/Variety)
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CYBERSPACE IS A VERY STRANGE PLACE...
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- Funny Email Addresses:
me@my.net
waiting@busstop.com
howling@themoon.com
alice@wonderland.stanford.edu
elvis@undead.com
clark@daily.planet.net
superman@up.up.and.away.com
- Funny Host Names:
in.ter.net
you.got.net, we.got.net, god.got.net, yrmom.got.net
acid.base.com
my-hostname-is-longer-than-yours.MIT.EDU
didnt.doit.wisc.edu
pearly-gates.vatican.com
ohsaycan.ucc.american.edu
madame.butterfly.net
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ASK FOR HIM BY NAME...
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Hamish P. Nixon, a pub manager from Christ Church, ran for
the New Zealand Parliament under the slogan "Nixon - The Name You
Can Trust." He lost. That loss may be explained by something
that Mr. Nixon said at the time, "I can't understand why people
laugh when I talk about the need for trust and integrity in
politics. It's as if they know something I don't."
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